#anyway ummm comparing this to the first time he directly takes a life in the quarterlies. also to protect jackie.

[fungi-maestro]

The Question #4 (1987)

[kaz11283]

Fire and Ice: Chapter 4

Chapter Summary: you get to meet mor of the team members and you get adjusted to your new life in the tower. Loki is still giving you the cold shoulder.

Loki Masterlist

~~~~

Thor showed you the rest of the tower before leading you down to the living room where the rest of the team was.

"Lady y/n, this is the living space. Most of the time this is were everyone is together. Meet the avengers." You gave a slight wave to everyone that was there. You notices Nat and Clint sitting together toward the back of the room and smiled, Bucky and Sam were having some sort of disagreement while Steve just laughed shacking his head. When he notice you he stood walking over to greet you.

"You'll have to ignore those two. If theres something to disagree with they'll find it. Steve Rodgers ma'ma, pleasure to meet you." He stuck his hand out shacking yours.

"Nice to meet you too Steve. I've heard a few things about you. My roommate is a big fan." You smiled. Looking around you noticed Loki sitting by one of the windows staring straight at you, you felt your heart flip a few times before smiling at him. He rolled his eyes and went back to reading whatever he was reading. "See Thor, he absolutely hates me." You whisperer.

"Hes just trying to adjust." Thor placed his hamd on your lower back guiding you through yet another door. This one lead to a high tech lab where Tony and Bruce were at.

"If it isnt the man who completely uprooted me, brought me to a undisclosed location, and didnt take no for an answer. Its a pleasure to meet you Mr. Stark." You smiled sticking out your hand.

"Now in my defence I didnt bring you to an undisclosed location. I think everone knows where the tower is located. But after the compound is built no one is gonna be able to find us." He laughed taking your hand, you noticed him looking you over. "Your smaller than I would have imagined. Complete opposite from what I had compared you to. Not as .... Ummm... Pointy." He made a weird jester with his hands. You could only assume he was comparing you to Loki.

"Well as they say Mr. Stark, I do have horns holding up this halo." You laughed.

"I like her. Lets just get rid of reindeer games and keep her." He said pointing a screwdriver at you smiling. "Oh, heres this, state of the art Stark Macbook and Stark Phone. Online classes start for you Monday, you have all your normal classes. They will just be broadcasted to you on here, yes you can go back and rewatch them but you do still need to be there for the live feed also. If you need the book heres a card, use that for you. No limit." He handed you a black Mastercard.

"I truly appreciate it, really, but I cant take this." You tried handing it back.

"You can, you will. Everyone in the tower has one, no limits. Well Nat and Pepper have limits, I swear between those two i would be broke in no time. Anyways, not the point, you'll also need training gear. Use it for that if nothing else."

"Thank you Mr. Stark. Really for everything." You said grabbing the dtuff he had given you an slipping the card into your back pocket.

"Stop calling me that, Mr. Stark was my father. Tony will be fine." He said getting back to what he was working on.

"I call him Man of Iron." Thor said placing his hand on your lower back leading you out.

"Dont, for gods sakes, dont call me that." Tony yelled after you.

"Everyone is meeting in the living room for a movie of you would like to join us." Thor asked. You were completly drained from your firdt day at the tower, had it really just been this morning since you were in your own room? It felt like eons ago.

"No Thor, I just want to go take a shower, adjust to everything going on, and unpack my stuff. Maybe look for somethings to decorate my room, but thank you." You turned walking back to your room in silence.

On your way to your room your mind was all over the place, how did you not know that you were from Asguard, had your parents not really been there your whole life? Did your parents even actually exist or was it some made up something or other like a dream? You had just talked to your mom yesterday, maybebit was just some mind control thing making you beleive you had been talking to her. You placed your hand on the bridge of your nose rubbing it as you leanes aginst a wall trying to collect your thoughts.

"You seen very troubled." His voice ws like silk, you had only heard it once before but you knew when you looked up you would see him standing there in his usual green and black. You knew this man didnt like you but something inside of you drew you to him. When you looked up he was leaning aginst the wall directly in front of you, looking like he was trying to figure out an answer to a ridiculously hard question.

"I just want to know why this is happening? Are my parents even real? Do I have powers? What are they if i do. I just want to know. Why do you hate me?" You sighed leaning your head back aginst the cool wall. You heard his breath catch, before you knew it he was directly in front of you, hands on either side trapping you there. Your heart lept, not from the danger that you were in, but the closeness.

"I do not hate you, I could never hate you. You do not realize this but we were ment to be together, two parts of a whole. You can not stand here and tell me you do not feel drawn to me as I am you. I have loved you from the day we first met so long ago, playing as kids in my mothers garden. It simply pains me that you do not remember us, what we had, our past. Darling trust my words when I say that if Odin wasnt dead I would surly kill him for taking you from me and making me beleive you dead for all these years." He leaned down breathing in your scent and gently leaving a kiss on our cheek before turning around and walking off leaving you even more confused and jittery than you were.

~~~~

Chapter 5

~~~~~

Tag list:

@kgirardin

@sophlubbwriting

@supbeeches

@high-functioning-lokipath

[tosikoarts]

SFW Alphabet | Kadokura Toshiyuki

There he is, the tanuki man! Ask box is now OPEN. You can check tosikowrites tag for more. Warning: there’s a lot under the cut.

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

 Thanks to the omnipresent influence of bad luck, Kadokura has little experience when it comes to love life (yes, we don’t count a marriage which was a complete failure, okay, his wife and daughter ran off), courtship, and romance in general. Those relationships he was involved in never grew in anything serious, and he was often left with nothing but a broken heart so, obviously, when Kadokura starts to notice a flaring interest in anyone, he is confused.

First, what? Second, why? Could it happen in a more convenient time, not when he is hunted by a rabid Superior Private and, potentially, by a dozen more dangerous personalities in Hokkaido? Despite being a complete wreck, Kadokura tries to play it cool. He acts just as unperturbed as always, does not go out of his way to impress his untimely crush because what if they don’t like him at all? Worse! What if they are disgusted with him or something?

Thus the only affection they can expect are endless entertaining conversations, - Kadokura knows a ton of fables and his heart skips a bit when they laugh at yet another story, - and help whenever they may need it. In fact, he is just scared to death that his “luck” will affect them too. Moreover, if it happens, he won’t be able to protect them or play a knight in shining armor since he isn’t that personable, formidable, strong…

Kadokura is a king of pinning and self-doubt so, you know, the only way this relationship can progress anywhere is if his crush takes the initiative. Takes him by the hand, makes some compliments, shows that they care and are interested. The best option would be to just tell him directly what a dumb dummy he is that he can’t notice their green lights.

After that everything becomes much easier: Kadokura slowly steps up his dating game! Sure, it’s a long time from “Wow, your eyelashes are so long. Like cow’s eyelashes” to “Moon is beautiful, isn’t it?” (Note: check out Natsume Soseki to understand the context!) and from chilling by the fire to sitting on the porch of own house but trust the process.

Mostly relies on the way his partner shows their affection and adjusts to them. If they are more about verbal affection, he will put all his efforts into becoming smooth talker, if they are a more physical person, Kadokura will hold them by the hand and hug the shit out of them. Simple as that.

 B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

 The start of this friendship is unpredictable. They had to meet either before Kadokura started to work as a jailor (or they had to be imprisoned in Abashiri lol) or after he joined Hijikata Toshizou. Both options come down to Kadokura getting into some kind of trouble like make another lunatic mad at him and his future best friend, or simply bumping into them on the street, scattering all of the goods they just bought on the road. Kadokura gets under the horse's hooves in an attempt to collect them. Now he needs medical help. Please, help this poor man.

Never initiates anything but if you offer to hang out Kadokura will be down. Again, hanging out with him is a double-edged sword: you may end up in the maelstrom of events that will leave you with a shit ton of crazy stories for grandkids or you may fall onto the ground and lie like a stone telling each other the dumbest puns. Both are good, in my opinion, just be aware of the possibilities.

There are moments when he can't stop complaining about life. Usually, it happens over a shot of sake when Kadokura’s cheeks crimson, long sighs substitute commas in between of lamentations, and the atmosphere becomes more intimate. The prisoners are, of course, very attentive listeners, but you will not get any emotional feedback from them. With freshly made best friend, Kadokura tends to overshare and then profusely apologize for that.

Just like with Hijikata Toshizou, he will stick his neck out for them but won’t expect the same in return. To the point where if he was forced to choose between saving either Hijikata or his best friend, Kadokura will have to commit die instead.

 C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

Enjoys being cuddled more than he originally thought. For the first time in a while, his palms are sweating, butterflies are swarming in the stomach, so gentle touch feels almost dazing: Kadokura may even flinch in surprise when they start nuzzling on his shoulder like a cat. Later he finally convinces himself to ease off enough to pull them into an unescapable hug, fall together on the ground and fool around or pull them on his lap and plant few kisses on their cute nose. Doesn’t like spooning because every time he is big spoon three is no way he can keep hands to himself. The temptation is too great, and Kadokura doesn’t even try to resist it.

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

Why this question?. Who even dreams of a nasty cozy home? Of the disgusting overwhelming feeling of safety with the love of one’s life? Waking up and falling asleep together, sharing all good and bad from day to day? HORRIBLETERRIBLEAWFUL sign Kadokura up. Of course, he wants to settle down. The desire to have a family nest has been growing in his heart for years but until now there was no person to share this dream with. He brings up the idea of living together as soon as it seems more or less appropriate and flies over the moon (at the speed of light) when his partner supports it. Good at cooking but sucks at cleaning.

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

Classical breakup with “It’s not you, it’s me” line in it. Kadokura will not break up with his partner until all possible methods of saving relationships have been tried out: this is one of the most difficult decisions in his life ever and fucking up something that can be saved would be idiotic. He has doubts until the last second of course. Scratching the back of his head awkwardly and dejectedly avoiding their gaze, Kadokura tries to get to the point but his speech is interrupted by endless ummms and ughs. In the end, he feels as awful as they do, guilty and somewhat ashamed, so after making sure they are not going to do anything stupid, Kadokura flees.

There is not a lot to say besides that Kadokura clearly understands how hard it is to be left (and usually that’s how breakup feels like you were left on the side of the road) so he tries to be delicate. Checks up on them from time to time by sending long letters with detailed descriptions of his misadventures.

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

He is no longer at an age when postponing a wedding is almost a matter of course but, at the same time, Kadokura is held back by the fear that this marriage will end like a previous one. Is he legally divorced at all?... Anyway, Kadokura is torn between proposing on the first anniversary and waiting an unknown amount of time until they bring up this question. Dreams of a small wedding with one or two guests from both sides so they are not obligated to be too serious and constrained with traditions. Kirawus has to be one of the guests, he cries at the sight of happy butthole peeker Kadokura.

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

Ayyy, he is the type of man who lets his hand go numb but won’t move it to not disturb his loved one’s sleep. Kadokura is way more gentle than any of the ex-soldiers, both physically and emotionally but his attempts to show it often come off as kind of awkward and malapropos. Do not let it upset you: Kadokura is a master in turning everything into a good joke and laughing at small inconveniences. He is the one to apologize first after the big argument, the one to offer a big hug after a bad day, the one to sit beside and listen to the emotional rent without giving even one unnecessary comment.

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

Whenever his loved one wants, Kadokura will be there with arms outstretched to the sides, ready to give them the tightest hugs. He likes to gently rub their back at the same time or nuzzle against their neck but is hesitant if there are any onlookers.

In family life, he has no problem with randomly running up to his loved one for a hug. Really, Kadokura is a sucker for unexpected back hugs where he can put hands on the partner’s waist and press them into his body, deliberately distracting them from housework.

You can easily tell Kadokura is having a rough day when he slips from usually coveted embraces: it is an unconscious trick to fish out a double portion of physical affection from his loved one.

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

Pretty fast compared to others. Half of the year, maybe? It has to be obvious you love a person by that time or so Kadokura thinks. He is not afraid to be misunderstood since by the time confession is ready to slip from his tongue, Kadokura already has planned a whole paragraph ahead of all questions: if they are not ready to say it back that’s fine, if they don’t feel the same right now or in general that’s fine if they need space to think about that’s fine. Everything is fine with Kadokura, he just wants to convey the idea that they are irreplaceable and make him feel like no one did before.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

A definition of confusion in all scenarios since he can’t clearly understand his own emotions. Is it a disappointment? If it is anger, it’s greatly diminished by a feeling of worthlessness. If they are being hit on, Kadokura sees himself as a rather weak opponent but picks himself up and stands next to a partner, gently taking them by the hand, and asks them if everything is alright. If the rival is excessively pushy, Kadokura will let out a heavy sigh before getting into a fight because no way he will let any bastard hurt his loved one. Needs to be patched up after the fight. Can’t stop smiling like a fool when they wipe the blood abundantly oozing from a broken nose. It’s good for his ego.

If they decided to flirt with anyone, Kadokura chokes on his own saliva. Like. What. This is so humiliating. He wants the ground open to swallow him up, along with all his stupid feelings for them, which, apparently, mean nothing. Needs a lot of space to cool down and has a hard time confronting them about the situation. Kadokura is more comfortable with repressing this unpleasant memory than sorting things out.

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

With Kadokura every kiss is just like the first one in the best sense of the word: his kisses are gentle, warm, not too sloppy, not too dry, not priestly prude, and not teenagerly aggressive. Although he has a funny (or annoying, it is not for everyone) habit: sometimes he decides to smooch them in the middle of talking just because. If they scold him for that he just laughs it off and plants a hundred more kisses on their poppy-red face.

Loves to kiss his partner on temples and lips but, honestly, as long as it’s them Kadokura will kiss them whenever, from the top of the head to the tip of their pinky toes, literally. Prefers to be kissed on the lips too but also on the neck, chest, and belly.

L = Little ones (How are they around children?)

First of all, Kadokura loves children with his whole heart. Second of all, kids love Kadokura like no other babysitter. Put them together in one room and watch them vibe. Honestly, he is naturally good around little ones, it looks like he was born with a talent to keep up with those fidgets. If his child is struggling with any school subject, Kadokura will spend the evening with them, helping them to understand a difficult concept. Even if he doesn’t understand it himself, nothing can stop Kadokura from dive into books, teach himself, and then explain learned stuff to kids. Absolutely amusing when he babytalks. Wants three or four children but still has a fear of being a bad father (unreasonably!).

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

Lazy as mornings can be. No one hurries to jump out of the bed to get down to business, and the house stays silent until late noon. After waking up, Kadokura languidly sits up in the sheets, yawns, and curls up back to his partner, spending another few hours snoozing in their warmth.

Eh, it feels like Kadokura is the type of person that is awfully quiet in the morning. It is easier for him to convey his thought with gestures than to start moving his tongue. Well, except when it comes to kisses. He doesn't mind spending some energy on that.

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

Nights are calm and cozy. They are pretty much normal, usually spent at home since it is nearly impossible to drag Kadokura anywhere after 6 p.m. On especially good days, he can surprise his partner with simple but delicious food: unusual gourmet dishes of the Michelin 3-star restaurant level aren’t his forte but miso soup made with unconditional love is definitely his signature dish.

Fond of playing games with his loved one despite losing 9 times out of 10. They have lost more than five dices already but Kadokura keeps buying new sets, of higher quality and higher price. After the game is finished, Kadokura or his partner thinks up a challenge for the loser like cook for a week or call the winner one specific word for a day so they can have more fun.

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

 They have to become his friend before Kadokura starts to reveal more info than the one that is known to everyone in the area. By the way, a good indicator of closeness is the ability to laugh together: look at his relationship with Kirawus, that is just the right level to open up. Takes things slowly, expects another person to share as much as he does. Kadokura is very particular when it comes to the innermost and knows how to keep secrets, so he makes it clear from the very beginning it’s okay to speak their mind, ask for advice, etc. As stated before, tends to overshare after having too much sake.

 P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

The patient isn’t the right word, resigned is. There is nothing in this world that can surprise him: Kadokura had to deal with the most terrible scumbags imaginable, serve as bait for a killer (and face another person who wanted his death even more than the aforementioned killer!), freeze his ass off while standing on the thin ice with a knife between his rimed buttocks. Like, the peak of life’s evil tomfoolery is reached. Kadokura is prepared to face anything and everything and is relieved every time it’s not a near-death experience or bloodthirsty wild animal.

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

It depends on how stars align on each separate day. Today he remembers 99,9% of what his loved one said and the next day not a single word reaches his brain cells. Kadokura is way more focused on feelings and emotions he experiences together with his partner so it is not uncommon for him to remember they were uncontrollably laughing but were cold than that they fell in the river because he was rocking the boat. It works the same with negative emotions: Kadokura somehow feels he should lock the dog even though he has no clear memory that his loved one is afraid of them. Why did I do it? I don’t know, gut’s feeling.

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

A first kiss for sure! After a long lull in personal life, the first kiss with a new person awakens a whole storm of emotions in him. Kadokura feels like he is eighteen again, he just crossed the doorstep of adulthood and discovered the delight of the first relationship. This joy is enough to take away his speech for a minute: months later this moment makes him wince in disbelief of how silly he must have looked with eyes wide-opened and jaw hanging low. After that, he still had the courage to ask “oh so does it mean we are the thing now? Like the real thing?”. No, Kadokura spent the next week wondering if this was a feverish dream despite given a positive answer.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

Do you want to live? Run then! Use the Joseph Joestar’s famous plan and strategically retreat because his brain needs some time to come up with a plan. Kadokura obviously wants to keep his loved one safe and sound, who doesn’t, but it is not that easy. He gives them a gun or knife to protect themself in the moment of danger since, chances are, Kadokura himself will be in even deeper troubles, millimeters away from swiftly bayonet sending him straight to heaven.

Relies mostly on keeping them as far from the battle scene as possible. Even if they handle a gun better than he does, Kadokura actively protests in every possible way and convinces them to stay somewhere safe: he knows for sure if they get injured, he will be the one to blame, and if something irreversible happens, he won’t be live on without a heavy burden of guilt.

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

Despite the lack of ample opportunities to show his love inexpensive or exquisite ways, Kadokura tries his best to impress his loved one. He is ready to change himself and change his life as well to be worthy of their company. A little more effort to get out of bed and shave this mess off the neck, even more effort to buy a new suit for their dinner date out, every drop of effort to accept his awkwardness and let things go with the flow. Anniversaries are treated the same way: if possible, in summer Kadokura will plan a trip to the South coast where they can enjoy loneliness together to the sound of waves breaking on the rocky shore. In winter, he will certainly try to create an extra festive and cozy atmosphere at home, cooking their favorite food, and making an excessive amount of tea. We are talking about the level at which the kettle is never empty. Relatively diligent in the everyday task but no powers in the world will force him to clean up like a normal man.

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

“A wilted, uninspired middle-aged dude” he is, and it affects how Kadokura perceives himself more than you think. In turn, this perception seeps into his life as self-doubt, self-deprecating jokes, and hesitation in making important decisions. At the same time, if you point out this flaw to him, Kadokura will sulk. You would think he has to know better but no.

Unmotivated and has a hard time opening up to new experiences like learning new skills or finding new hobbies. Not as much as Kikuta, but Kadokura also has a habit of doing as he did twenty years ago even if the consequences did not live up to expectations. He sees a rake that WILL hit him on the forehead and JUMPS on it anyway.

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

Earlier in the days when grass was greener and the sky was bluer, Kadokura put more thought into his appearance but over time it changed. With the current state of the world, he doesn’t bother to waste his time fixing his hair every hour and blow the dust off his shoes. His uniform is in a relatively ok condition, with few patches here and there, three-day stubble often overgrows in one-week stubble, and bags under the eyes give him a shabby look but there is a charm in it.

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

Some people try too hard to hide the fact they are hurt while going through a bad breakup and he is one of them. Days seem endlessly long and gloomy, Kadokura performs given tasks only because it is expected from him, he stops playing cards with Kirawus and doesn’t bat an eyelid when ainu bugs him. Absent-mindedness leads Kadokura straight into new problems but none of them is enough to shake him up. He is… sad. Simply as that. Not heartbroken, not sorrowful. It is an empty sadness that leaves you painfully numb without a stingy tear to shed. To make it even worse, after the breakup Kadokura persistently seeks their company again and again for reasons he can’t explain. Maybe, it is desensitization: the more he sees them as an outsider, the easier he takes it. Shortly after, he will try to find the trace of his ex-wife and daughter, reunite with them if… they want to, you know. They might start a new life while he was nodding off in the workplace.

If they have been killed, Kadokura will live on, faithfully serving Hijikata. He refuses to talk about them at all, brushing off offered emotional support. Still, he was born under an unlucky star and nothing can be done about it: it is something he has to come to terms with.

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

Let's forget the canon for a second and pretend that Kadokura has a sister or a brother who, in turn, has a child. So my headcanon is that he is a cool uncle. The one who gives kids life advice in the form of a funny parable, pretends he doesn’t hear them sneaking out in the night, puts more money in an envelope so they can save some up for cool stuff. His lifehacks are actually useful even though sometimes questionable… The one who doesn’t have to try to fit in with the new-gen because he got it already.

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

There is only one specific thing that comes to mind since Kadokura is too chill and it seems he can deal with almost everything.

People with excessive energy. We are not talking about the literal ray of sunshine type of person that beams with energy but rather about people who are active and need other people to match them. They need strong feedback from another person to feel validated and not to fall into the depression abyss and Kadokura is not a person to match this description. He is not about running around 24/7 enthusiastically grimacing at every little thing. It's exhausting. It is annoying. Kadokura’s social battery runs out on their second sentence so he prefers to avoid such Duracell bunnies at all costs.

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habit of theirs?)

Just like Kikuta has a specific ritual before going to bed. Jailer's work taught Kadokura to pay more attention to the security of the house so he can’t fall asleep without checking all the doors. This habit has nothing to do with obsessive-compulsive disorder, it is what it is. Besides it, Kadokura gives his partner a goodnight kiss on the temple because what if he wakes up and they are not here or what if he won’t have any other chance to do it. This one doesn’t change even if Kadokura is stressed the f out: he may be red from the anger but he will lean down and smooch them to remind how much they mean to him.

[theparanormalperiodical]

Top 10 Scariest Horror Films You Didn't Know Were Based On A TRUE Story feat. Trailers + Where To Watch

There’s something about horror films that are based on real events that just make me weak.

So weak, in fact, I’ve decided to spend the last *checks watch* one and a half years of my early 20s delving into the facts and the fiction haunting the horror genre. 

My parents must be so proud.

Most of these films wear the badge of ‘this is reality or close enough to it, anyway’ with dignity, leveraging gullible paranormalists like me to drive ticket sales. The Conjuring (2013) is just one of these films that is explicit in its basis in reality, going on to rake in 16 times its budget and inspiring me to delve deeper into my occultist journey.

(No, really, they’re so proud.)

But the ventures of Ed and Lorraine Warren are not the only experiences of horrifying and haunting events to be reinterpreted via the silver screen. There are some horror films you wouldn’t expect to have reality flushing through their veins.

Some of horror’s biggest hitters aren’t just living in your nightmares. They actually happened IRL.

Which is, ummm, fine, yeah, it’s not like I need to sleep anyway.

*Stay tuned to discover the horror films you didn’t know were based on true stories and the real accounts that inspired them.*

Jaws (1975)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1fu_sA7XhE 

This cinematic classic follows the adventures of a great white shark as it terrorises the summer resort town of Amity. A couple of corpses later, and the local police chief, rookie marine biologist, and wild-card shark hunter track the beast down themselves.

Most horror films use a person or a story as a basis for a film. Jaws, however, is an amalgamation of experiences recorded by the writer of the novel inspiring the film, Peter Benchley.

Benchley admittedly had a life-long obsession with sharks and was inspired to write a book on a rogue great white after reading about a bloke called Frank Mundus.

"...in 1964, I read an item in a newspaper about a fisherman who harpooned a 4,500-pound great white shark off Long Island. I remember thinking at the time, Lord! What would happen if one of those monsters came into a resort community and wouldn't go away?”

Quint, the wild card shark hunter, was based directly on Mundus.

Another influence, although not referenced by Benchley, was the 1916 New Jersey shark attacks.

In high summer, five Americans were attacked by a great white off the coast of the Jersey Shore with 4 falling victim to their wounds. For the next 11 days, the same shark cruised along the 70 miles of the beach towns and small villages. The shark even performed the first shark attack reported in US history, countering the long-standing belief that sharks couldn’t bite through human bone.

(Spoiler alert: they can.)

When beach goers came to the beach early morning to discover the 3rd victim bitten in half, this was disproven. After that discovery - which bares a striking resemblance to the opening scenes of Jaws - the story hit The New York Times front page.

Just like the film the mayors tried to deny there was a deadly shark making the rounds to secure profit to their seaside resorts. And just like the film a swimmer was even mauled in an estuary.

It wasn’t long before they settled on the identity of the perpetrator and the locals set off with rifles and pitchforks.

(Not sure how useful they’d be against a shark, but okay.)

The shark met its end after it attacked one of the hunters’ boats, a scene we also witness in the film.

You can rent it for £2.50 on Amazon Prime.

Deliver Us From Evil (2014)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWDM_p68HAQ

We follow a policeman who has a side gig as an exorcist as he encounters strange goings on in the Bronx. Ralph Sarchie chases up the paranormal activity and attempts to untangle why possessed people are painting ancient messages and images in various places.

Here’s the thing: none of this actually happened. As far as we know, anyway.

What this film is based on is the real Ralph Sarchie who wrote the memoir Beware The Night as an ode to his work as a demonologist. It’s based on his character, his tone of voice, and how he carried out his work.

Sarchie presents his work as his destiny, as some form of divine intervention he believes was signalled by his survival of a severe illness he contracted when he was 10.

He claims to carry a splinter of the ‘true cross’ - I guess the one Jesus actually died on - and considers himself more of a priestly figure armed with relics and holy water than a paranormal investigator.

Sarchie has worked on many possessions and hauntings, claiming he didn’t charge a cent despite the high fee he probably got from the book sales and the film’s debut. The most famous tale is that of the ‘Halloween Horror’:

A woman named Gabby began to see a woman floating in a cloud of white smoke in the corner of her bedroom. It wasn’t long before this smoky woman began to speak through Gabby according to her partner Dominick.

Gabby’s friend then says this was the ghost of a woman murdered on her wedding night. She then apparently saw the spirit of her father. Activity followed with flying books, moans and growls, and the word ‘HELP’ written on the mirror. Eventually an incubus rocks up and is hell bent on attacking various family members.

When Gabby gets possessed in the presence of Sarchie and his paranormal-busting-partner, he exorcises her of the spirit.

In total, Sarchie has assisted in 25 exorcisms and hundreds of ‘house exorcisms’.

You can watch it for free on Netflix.

The Blob (1958/1988)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdUsyXQ8Wrs

*cue the canned screams*

In some rural town in America, a meteorite crashes to the ground. Someone investigates and a jelly globule attaches itself to their hand before consuming it. It then begins to consume their entire body. It’s not long before it starts to consume, well, everyone and everything in its path.

8 years before the horror icon first became a cult classic, two police officers in Philadelphia saw something float down from the sky. They thought it was a parachute and decided to investigate.

What they discovered was a six feet wide purple glob of odourless gloop. It was filled with crystals and gave off a mist. One of the police officers took the plunge - quite literally - and dipped a hand in. He kept the hand, but noticed the sticky residue left on his hands.

The gloop quickly disappeared and left the grass underneath it unbent. It was allegedly only there for 25 minutes. They were the only ones that saw it. It soon made its way into the press and the FBI asked the Air Force to investigate. They declined.

You can watch it for £3.50 on Amazon Prime.

Wolf Creek (2005)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8S13W69FQhs

Two British tourists are backpacking across Australia when they run into trouble in Wolf Creek National Park. A helpful local offers to help fix their broken down car and provide some shelter. Turns out the helpful local is actually a psychopathic xenophobic murderer. He entraps tourists, lures them to his shelter, and tortures/kills them.

Most gory horror films can be compared to real life murders and other crimes. Unfortunately, even the most imaginative forms of torture or murder has probably already happened. But the film was directly based on the backpacker murders committed by Ivan Milat in the 90s.

Milat murdered 7 people aged 19 to 22, preying on those encouraged to backpack across Australia after several tourism campaigns revealed how cheap and easy it was. In ‘92 and ‘93 the bodies were discovered in Belanglo State Forest with the wounds and injuries suggesting the scenes played out in film were similar to those Milat committed.

In late ‘93 a force dedicated to hunting the unknown killer emerged. It used gym memberships, gun licensing, and police records to narrow down a list of 32 suspects.

It was only when Paul Onions, a British backpacker reported he was nearly murdered near Belanglo State Forest that the police could pinpoint that Milat.

You can watch it for £2 on Amazon Prime.

Open Water (2004)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9q1qJi1nMs

It’s everyone’s worst nightmare: being left in the middle of the ocean. A distant couple decide to take a relaxing break and head out for a scuba-diving vacation. Their holiday is ruined, however, when the guy driving the boat f*cks up the head count and thinks everyone is back on board after a diving sesh. The couple come back to the surface and discover the boat is gone.

Yep, this all happened in real life.

In 1998, Thomas and Eileen Lonergan went on a scuba diving trip to Australia’s Coral Sea. They were mistakenly stranded by the boat crew leading the dive and their absence wasn’t noticed until 2 days later when a bag containing their belongings was discovered.

The crew and other rescue teams searched the area but did not discover their bodies. Personal belongings were found.

A diver’s slate - a device for communicating underwater - was one of these items.

"Monday Jan 26; 1998 08am. To anyone who can help us: We have been abandoned on A[gin]court Reef by MV Outer Edge 25 Jan 1998 3pm. Please help to rescue us before we die. Help!!!"

The other items that washed up, including a wetsuit, suggested they had probably not fallen victim to shark attacks but had become disoriented, dehydrated, or injured by coral. Alternate theories claim it may have been a murder-suicide to avoid the slow, distressing death of being left at sea, or that it was a faked death/disappearance. No bank accounts had been tampered with, however.

Tougher regulations for scuba-diving in Australia shortly followed their disappearance.

You can watch it for free on Amazon Prime.

The Rite (2011)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hG3ktopqv8

We follow exorcist-in-training Father Gary Thomas as he navigates the loss of this faith. When the opportunity for fighting growing demonic possessions arises, Thomas decides to become an exorcist. We see Thomas as he is confronted by evil and reaffirms his devotion to God.

Portrayed by veteran actor Anthony Hopkins, Father Gary Thomas is a real American exorcist - one of the 14 Vatican-verified exorcists working State-side. He did in fact study in the Vatican to become an exorcist, and another student he met there would chronicle his experiences in the book The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcist.

Thomas even spent a week on set advising the director, utilising his experiences of the 100 odd people he had seen possessed in his career.

Just like in the film, Thomas echoes that most people that come to him for an exorcism have been abused in their past, linking mental health issues to demonic attachment. Thomas also has a lot of praise for the film, claiming the way those possessed moved in a serpentine way is accurate to those he has seen:

“I was beginning to do some deliverance prayers. Within a few minutes she began to tremor and her facial countenance began to change. You saw a snake. She began sticking her tongue out like a snake and hissing and rolling her eyes. She coiled herself up.”

- Father Gary Thomas on a possessed Venezualan woman

You can watch this on Amazon Prime for £2.50.

The Silence Of The Lambs (1991)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6Mm8Sbe__o

Anthony Hopkins refers to a staple horror film - a film with truth spilling like blood from a bloated corpse…

This psychological horror sees an FBI trainee as they work with an imprisoned serial killer to hunt down a murderer, Buffalo Bill. Add in just a dash of transphobia and we arrive at the film that made my parents actually walk out of the cinema when they first saw it.

First, let’s talk about Hannibal Lecter and his role as an advisor to the FBI: this has actually happened, using a seasoned killer to catch another. The most famous example of this is none other than Ted Bundy, one of the most infamous in history. Bundy told investigators to stake out the graves of victims or the places where bodies had been dumped as necrophiles like himself would return to the site.

Bundy actually helped them catch Gary Ridgeway who killed an estimated 90 people.

Now let’s turn to Buffalo Bill. The characters were never directly inspired by real people but their crimes were. He was an amalgamation of other crimes with Ed Gein serving as the main inspiration. Ed Gein, most known for skinning his victims and wearing the skins, took 9 lives and would also inspire the character Norman Bates.

He would make clothing out of body parts, make soup bowls from dug-up skulls, and build chairs from human bones.

Ted Bundy even made another appearance in Buffalo Bill’s character in terms of how he lures his victims, acting hurt and helpless until the victim was just within reach.

You can buy this film on Amazon Prime for £8.

Scream (1996)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWm_mkbdpCA

This satirical slasher redefined the genre, putting comedy firmly into horror as we know it. It follows Sidney Prescott, a preppy high school student, as she navigates high school drama and a rampant serial killer.

Just like The Silence Of The Lambs, the crimes witnessed in Scream had basis in reality. Daniel Rolling - the Gainesville Ripper - was an American serial killer who murdered 5 students in Florida within the short span of 4 days back in 1990.

Rolling would sexually assault, rape, threaten, and kill his young victims before leaving them in ‘sexual’ positions. He even decapitated one of those murdered and left the head on the shelf opposite the rest of the body amongst other vile acts. He later claimed his motive was to become a ‘superstar’ like Ted Bundy.

Yeah, that’s enough of that.

You can watch this on Amazon Prime for £2.50.

The Hills Have Eyes (1977/2006)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUQd9OB75dw

It’s time to hear about another vacay gone cray-cray. In the middle of a roadtrip to California, a family’s car breaks down in a mysterious area closed off to the public and they encounter a strange community of cannibals.

Instead of being based on modern crimes that hit far too close to home, this film is based on a historic event - or the legend of Sawney Bean.

Bean was a mythical leader of a cannibalistic group of insurgents in the 16th century. He grew up in a community of witches and later began his own community full of his children which he expanded with rampant incest. They would leave traps and eat their prey in a cave.

The King of Scotland, James VI, even led a team to root the family out of their lair. According to legend they were burnt at the stake while others were hung.

This tale also bears similarities to urban legends from Russia: there is a trope in the Southern Urals which claims after the Chernobyl accident irradiated peoples would become savage peoples, echoing the nuclear testing themes shown by the film.

You can watch this on Amazon Prime for £2.50.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1978)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKn9QIaMgtQ

In this cult class gore-fest we see a group of friends visit an old homestead but instead run into a family of murderous cannibals.

Yet again the crimes of Ed Gein make an appearance. The friends walk in on a home full of furniture made of human remains and meet a man - Leatherface - wearing a mask made of human skin. We also witness various people butchered in different brutal ways.

But this film also has a more political inspiration. Tobe Hooper - the director, producer, and writer - pinned his inspiration on changes in the cultural and political landscape, focusing on misinformation that overran America during the 70s.

*looks into camera a la Jim from The Office*

Hooper pinned the claims of a true story onto the film, responding to how he felt he was being lied to by the government regarding things like Watergate, the 1973 Oil Crisis, and the Vietnam War. The news only confirmed the brutal acts of humanity.

"man was the real monster here, just wearing a different face, so I put a literal mask on the monster in my film".

You can watch this for free on Amazon Prime.

Well that was, uhh, fun?

If you enjoyed these traumatic discoveries - you know, that some of the most terrifying horror films of all time are based on real people and crimes - then make sure you like ‘n’ reblog to let me know.

I post a new article on horror and the paranormal every Saturday + a new real ghost story everyday so make sure you hit follow to tag along for the ride!

[dachi-chan25]

Game of Thrones Season 7 Episode 6 Recap Pt.2

WARNINGS: SPOILERS; not a D@€n€r¥$ fan; Jonsa shipper.

—————-

3.- Back on Eastwatch Gendry is bitching to Beric and Thoros for their betrayal, and The Hound tells him to shut the fuck up (god the Hound is such a #mood character) and honestly I get a bit confused round here cuz so much stuff happens on Eastwatch I don’t even remember the order of this two conversations:

Tormund attempts to talk to the Hound, it’s hillarious, and you know what? They talk about Brienne, someone they have in common, #yes I am very salty Arya hasn’t been mentioned at all.

Beric and Jon have a conversation, again very intresting cuz Beric says Jon doesn’t look like Ned at all (for real you going there Beric?) and he must look like his mom (wasn’t he the one Stark children that looked the most like Ned??? The show confuses me greatly) just so we could be reminded again that indeed Jon looks like Lyanna and that *looks at smudged writing on my hand* Ragger Targpycola is his sperm donnor, thus he is a Targ. Also we get Jon saying he is going through all this bullshit dumbass hunt for the North (pls keep this in mind I beg you) Beric says he is doing this not for any King or Queen to sit on a throne (curioser and curioser) he is doing it for life, Jon quotes his vows of the NW, and they have this very intresting convo about life and the inevitabiliy of death.

I find very intresting Beric once again remind us of the little importance of titles and thrones right now, and Jon quoting his NW vows plus that Mance reminder he got from Tormund, well well I can see where this is going.

Also Beric knows about Jon’s resurrection but D the supposed Love of his life epic wuv story owo doesn’t, also Jon doesn’t seemed bothered by Beric knowing, and they both talk about what a cryptic asshole is R'hollor.

Yeah so The Hound guides them to the mountain with the arrow shaped top (yeah you know the one he saw in his insta vision) but they have to cross a frozen lake (the ice is not so thick) and a giant ass Wight bear is coming towards them, actually I found this whole thing so boring? The bear looked really fake (guess all that budget went to dragons) and really the whole purpose of this is to create fake tension and sense of danger, I couldn’t even get worried about any of the Suicide Squad, Thoros got injured but again he is one very minor character not that popular with the audience so we can kiss this drunken red priest goodbye.

Yeah so after this absolute bullshit they atract the attention of the WW building a fire, and ambush them (this FUCKING plan y'all) they very predictably are getting their assess handed to them by the wights til Jon kills the WW and the wights drop dead on the spot (k I take it back this is the CW, only in the V@mpir€ Di@ri€$ such convinient stuff happens) shit hits the metaphorical fan when an entire army of the death is matching towards our brave (and dumb) heroes.

Gendry being the fastest runner is sent back to Eastwatch to send for help while the Hound struggles to capture the only wight that very conviniently didn’t turn to dust when they killed the WW (I never thought to get a dumber storyline than the Jaime and Bronn rescue Myrcella from Dorne with no plan whatsoever but here we are) and how??? Like this would have been easily solved by bringing horses, or you know a damned raven!!! Jon already did an expedition beyond the wall! He was the goddamned Lord Commander and didn’t he for a moment consider they might need this stuff for a Wight hunt???? Deus ex machina in it’s finest. Also Gendry told us at the beginning of the damn episode it was the first time he has seen snow, he doesn’t know the territory how is he getting back to Eastwatch??? This makes even less sense by the minute I just can take seriously any of this stuff thus I can’t get emotionally involved and be seriously scared or worried for Suicide Squad.

Yeah so part of the lake cracks under the weight of thousands of animated corpses and dumb wight hunters, and they are left on a circule of ice surrounded by wights, that I shit you not are waiting for the lake to freeze again so they can attack, I just– fuck it!

4.-Back on WF (oh fuck me) Sansa is on Arya’s chambers, I guess she is looking for something that gives her an idea as to who is exactly this person her little sister became, when she finds the bag of faces, Sansa is (rightfully) horrified, Arya enters the room talking all cryptically but Sansa is not up for this mindgames, dammit not with her family! And asks directly what they are, Arya gives her an answer and a vague threat of taking Sansa’s face, whyyyyyy dude??? Another big trigger for Sansa, her abuser flyed people alive, hell she flyed that nice granny that tried to help Sansa, I know Arya doesn’t know, and I am not comparing her with Ramsey, but fuck what is it with the let’s play a game as all this fucked up mind games, if this is a ploy I have no doubt Sansa will forgive Arya, and Arya is gonna feel terrible when she finds out all that Sansa went through, but D&D are truly doing some great disservice to Arya, so this game as a lot of people realized is the Faces Game, Arya has already said her lie and gave Sansa the dagger.

Sansa confirms my suspicion in this whole secret ploy of playing LF by going to him, and pretends to trust him with what Arya is doing (only a fool would trust LF) without mentioning the dagger and he suggests maybe Brienne can take care of Arya if things go that far.

And also the only reason she cares about the Northern Lords finding out about the letter is that she doesn’t want Jon loosing his army, holy fuck she really loves him, even LF must know for he is not trying to undermine Jon in any way.

This is the only possitive thing that has come from this stuff.

5.- Gendry arrives at Eastwatch and tells them to send a raven to D. Meanwhile she is chilling on DS with Tyrion, she’s frustrated by all this stupid heroic man like Jorah, Daario and this Jon Snow.

Tyrion frowns and point out at all this man are in Love with her (LMAO where?????) cuz all those longing looks are not to form an alliance (dude you’d be surprised)

Speculation time! Isn’t this super super wierd? I mean with Jorah we get all this big gestures in her name and stares, same with Daario who always softened with her and smiled a lot, but Jon??? excuse me but there are no fucking scenes to support Tyrion’s claim. And I think Tyrion knows, remember last episode’s farwell, yes the one where Jon doesn’t turn around cuz he doesn’t give a fuck, Jorah did turn around and D was giving full heart eyes, you know who saw all of this? Tyrion, he even gets a close up. Dude but why would he pushed this idea on D’s mind, oh I don’t know maybe to MAKE HER LISTEN, she listened to Daario about the fighting pits, and Tyrion has seen first hand (that don’t be more of the same speech) that Jon is good and maybe his influence could be good on D.

D says Jon is not in love with her but her expression tells me she really believes he is, oh my god her self absortion knows no bounds. Dude why would he be??? Also that gross ass comment about Jon being too short in front of Tyrion wow dude way to be insensitive.

Anyway they are discusing startegies for the upcoming reunion with Cersei, and gods D is super annoying, she is blaming Tyrion for his plans while simultaneously asking him for a plan like??? And what are *you* gonna do girl? What are *you* proposing? Just ride your dragon into KL and call yourself queen? That’s your strategy for everything sorry if I am skeptical about your supposed greatness. Very easy to point fingers at people when you are doing nothing but wait for their plans to benefit you.

Tyrion still tries to explain why having people fear you is not a good thing for a ruler that supposedly wants to break the wheel, when she the D compares herself with Aegon the Conqueror (damn I am getting good at analysing this stuff) I was like ???? She thinks being a conqueror is a good thing? How??? She is so narrow minded is painful to watch and hear. Tyrion is just as horrified, excuse the hell outta me but why are y'all having to talk her out of burning people and destroying places/resources, how is anyone like that worthy of the power and responsabilities that come with ruling?? and D gets fucking paranoid (so we begin to emmulate daddy dearest aren’t we) and says Tyrion doesn’t want to destroy his family, excuse the fuck out of me but she knows Tyrion was being persecuted for his father and nephew’s murder, she knows Cersei hates him cuz he told her and I can just feel sorry for Tyrion, he believed and admired this woman so much (tho he is also to blame for letting himself be dazzled by the pretty speeches and dragons) and now he is really getting to know her

Tyrion implies he wants to form a good strategy so she don’t lose her temper and…

“I never lose my temper” she said while losing her temper.“

He is like ummm the Tarlys? And she is trying to justify herself mother of god what is wrong with her? Even Tyrion says what she did was completely unnecessary.

He wants to talk about important stuff like how she plans to go about breaking the wheel, cuz he is smart enough to know they are not easy quick changes and it could take more than a lifetime for her to change the world, how is her legacy gonna live on after she is dead, you know this is pretty important stuff she should be concerned about (this stuff about family and legacy has been touched upon since this season first episode on the Jaime/Cersei scene) but she retorts with the fact that she is struggling with infertility and that if Tyrion has maybe disscused her death with Jaime? Tyrion explains how concerned he was about her well being during the Loot Train attack and she is awful really, she is completely delusional about Tyrion trying to betray her, but I also think it would be good to talk about the succession once she is queen so I give her that.

I seriously think Tyrion is gonna dump her anytime now.

———-

Part 3 coming up!

[avani008]

Please do the whole OTP question meme with Amarendra and Devasena ^.^

(Also requested by the fabulous Anu/ @livinthefandommlife, for questions 4, 23, and 27! But posting together because I’m lazy. Thank you both, this was fun! :D)

Who is the most affectionate?Openly? Amarendra, I think; he’s not at all shy about staring at Devasena affectionately whenever she’s around, while she’s at least a little more circumspect.

Big spoon/Little spoon?

Amarendra prefers to sleep on his back, Devasena on her side curled up next to him. Until the later stages of her pregnancy, when they switch.

Most common argument?

I’m going to go with the boring answer and say it’s a remix of the public argument they have at the baby shower: that Devasena feels Amarendra deserves better than the way he’s being treated and needs to fight for it, while Amarendra, while aware that she’s right, also realizes that rocking the boat at this stage is just going to get them into worse trouble. I know complaining about Sivagami or the customs of Mahishmati might also be expected, but I feel like Devasena usually goes out of her way not to do so unless outrageously provoked, out of consideration for Amarendra’s feelings. (Bhalla, though, is always fair game.) But overall I just don’t see them fighting very often, other than mild exasperation on Devasena’s part when Amarendra teases her; they have so much external drama to deal with that I picture them having very little interpersonal drama. 

Favorite non-sexual activity? 

There is a reason I tagged one of my early reblogs for them “just a couple of archery geeks in love” (and why “Amukha” features that archery scene)! But even otherwise, I can pretty easily picture them discussing politics, economics, or just nothing in particular. Heck, even on the short part of their wedding night we see, they’re just hanging out talking. 

(I’ve found this usually tends to be my criteria for shipping OTPs, though. If I can’t imagine them happily spending a lazy Saturday afternoon together without resorting to a sexual or saving-the-world activity, I have a hard time seeing them living happily ever after.)

Who is most likely to carry the other?

Amarendra. I mean, to be fair, he is the super-strong one! (But I mean, if you want to jump over to Mirchi and one of my favorite subversion-of-a-trope scenes for a minute, Anushka can apparently boost Prabhas up for a minute if she has to, so Devasena probably could, too.)

What is their favorite feature of their partner’s?

Amarendra’s is easy: definitely her eyes. It’s pretty clear in her introduction - he can see she’s beautiful through the curtains of the palanquin, so that’s not it, and he sees her stab the guy and just looks amused/impressed, but it’s the passion and fire in her eyes that makes him stagger back and fall immediately in love. 

I’m not so sure about Devasena, though. His hands, maybe? (given all the handholding, more on that below.)

What’s the first thing that changes when they realize they have feelings for the other?

In Amarendra’s case, it was literally like, five seconds after he laid eyes on her, so um, nothing? And as far as Devasena is concerned, that is pretty much what “Pravesaka” is meant to cover (my answer there was intended to be not that much, except she comes to grips with the fact that she’s ready to leave Kuntala and follow her stranger –but that’s not because of her feelings for him, but a long-standing desire to do more than stay in Kuntala all her life.).

Nicknames? & if so, how did they originate?

I had this discussion with Prajna on AO3 about what Devasena would actually call Amarendra, and all I could come up with is pretty much that she follows the tradition of not taking his name directly (see: her conversation with Kattappa at the baby shower). That said, a few minutes later, when she’s too angry to think about it, she clearly calls him “Baahubali,” so I guess that’s how she thinks of him, I guess. I could be convinced, though, to accept “veer/veeran” as a term of endearment, which is what she calls him both in Hamsa Naava (actually more in Orey Oar Ooril) and during the defense of Kuntala.

Amarendra pretty much always calls her Devasena, because I’m a sucker for the “your name is way more meaningful to me than any term of endearment” trope. Or yuvarani if he’s trying to give her a hard time. 

Who worries the most?

Amarendra, though Devasena’s more vocal about it. But Amarendra’s more likely to try and pretend everything’s fine. One thing I appreciate, though, is that he doesn’t really try to hide his feelings from Devasena, who’s probably able to read him like a book anyway – even at the baby shower, when he turns to look at her, he gives her this split-second look of sadness before trying to cheer up, and during Dandalayya, he lets her share in his grief at missing Sivagami instead of pretending he was fine. She’s pretty much the only person he doesn’t laugh off his concerns around; he even does it with Kattappa!

Who remembers what the other one always orders at a restaurant?

They both do!

Who tops?

When it comes to their private life, I figure the prelude to Hamsa Naava when Amarendra has no problems with Devasena walking over him, and the kiss with Amarendra pulling back a little just to get Devasena riled up are probably the most indicative scenes, and that’s all I’m saying about that. 

Who initiates kisses?

We know this from canon! (It’s Devasena.)

Who reaches for the other’s hand first?

Amarendra, as per canon -- and can I just point out how much I love all their hand-holding? (It’s important enough, IMO, to their relationship that when I look back at them, all my ship-focused fics all have random hand-holding scenes featured) It’s particularly noticeable when you compare them to the other romance, Shivudu/Avantika, who are supposed to be the younger, sexier, less constrained by decorum pair, but hardly ever really touch or even stand that close to each other except in Pacha Bottesi! And meanwhile, Amarendra/Devasena are falling into each other's arms, and shooting arrows all wrapped around each other, and have a significant hand-hold, all before we even hit Hamsa Naava....

Who kisses the hardest?

They…both do? (aka, I honestly have no idea.)

Who wakes up first?Who wants to stay in bed just a little longer?

So while writing "Pravesaka," I came up with the headcanon that Devasena wakes up at ungodly hours that make my coffee-clutching-at-9AM self shudder. There’s honestly no canon proof for this except that when the Pindari attack, literally everyone else is awake (Amarendra, Kattappa, Kumar Varma, Jayavarma), except Devasena is clearly asleep when the warning alarm rings. So probably she gets up first, while Amarendra prefers to sleep a little longer (though neither of them sleep very much.)

Who says I love you first?

....I have no idea! Is that terrible? Well, Kattappa announces that Amarendra’s in love with Devasena, if you want to count that, but in terms of either of them announcing their feelings to the other, it actually never happens? Except look at their precious faces during the archery hallway scene: they don’t have to be told, they just know. 

Who leaves little notes in the other’s one lunch? (Bonus: what does it usually say?)

I struggled with this one, and I couldn’t figure out why until I realized it had to do with my answer to the previous question: I don’t see them actually being into actually being into stating their love for each other, and instead favoring quite little actions instead. But if we’re talking more in terms of sweet dorky gestures, I think they’d both equally do little things like that. 

Who tells their family/friends about their relationship first?

Well, Kattappa knows like, five minutes into this relationship, so Amarendra, I guess.

What do their family/friends think of their relationship?

Devasena’s family is delighted! Amarendra’s family, on the other hand....*hollow laugh*

Who is more likely to start dancing with the other?

...Amarendra, maybe? (I don’t picture them dancing, really.) But Devasena is obviously the better dancer.

Who cooks more/who is better at cooking?

Well, “Nidhana” has established that my headcanon Devasena is a terrible, terrible cook. But in her defense, as Mahendra explains, she’s usually needed multiple places at once in the village, on top of lacking the patient temperament needed to taste and see exactly how much of a particular spice is needed or let a particular dish simmer. Plus, as a royal princess, she would hardly have needed to learn to cook, anyway; I reckon her sister-in-law might have tried to teach her how to supervise a kitchen, but that was one of the lessons Devasena skipped to practice her archery.

Amarendra’s a functional cook, who can pretty much make the sort of battlefield rations that are healthy but very simple and not at all fine cuisine. (Yes, poor Mahendra’s taste buds probably go into hibernation by the age of two as a matter of self-preservation.)

Who comes up with cheesy pick up lines?

Amarendra. Unquestionably. 

Who whispers inappropriate things in the other’s ear during inappropriate times?

Devasena, surprisingly, especially when she’s annoyed and feels the need for petty revenge. She’s good at it, too, an absolute master of the straight face.

Who needs more assurance?

With regards to their relationship? Neither - I can’t see either of them being jealous or doubting that the other loves them, they’re just so rock-solid secure. 

What would be their theme song?

Well, their theme tune is Devasena’s introduction : it, or a slower version, plays in all their major scenes, including the last time they see each other. Or Hamsa Naava! That’s their big love song in canon.

In terms of American songs, ummm, “King and Lionheart?” It’s such a fandom cliche, I know, but I love it, and “they should worry”[because they’re going up against us] sounds like exactly the sort of thing Devasena would think/say.

Who would sing to their child back to sleep?

Devasena, obviously. 

What do they do when they’re away from each other?

Anu’s answer to this is so perfect that I’m just going to say “ditto!” and tell all of you to go read her answers for the meme because they are all amazing.

one headcanon about this OTP that breaks your heart

Amarendra was far more worried about Devasena’s labor than he let on. A childhood spent with Bijjaladeva had hardly let him forget that he killed his own mother in childbirth, and for all Devasena irritably reminded him that more women than not did perfectly well, there were always the stories of the mothers who died, and the children, too. He had lost his throne, his home, his mother, all without complaints; but this loss he wouldn’t be able to bear. Please, he prayed, let her live. Take me instead, if you must have a life.

(When the news came that Kattappa had been captured, his first reaction was guilty relief for the distraction.)

one headcanon about this OTP that mends it

After the midwives have gone and Devasena’s ladies-in-waiting dismissed from their vigil, after baby Mahendra has been carefully laid into his cradle and Devasena finally succumbs to her exhaustion, Amarendra watches them both with a sense of faint surprise. He’d had a family before, but had always had known that he was an outsider in their midst, that all of them had closer ties to each other than they did to him. But now, for the first time: 

“Mine,” he whispers, and doesn’t have to wonder if he belongs. 

(THAT IS TOTALLY WHAT HAPPENED, HUSH.)

[someaxolotl]

First Asignment

…

…

Oh, that’s my alarm! …that was a really strange dream… oh well. I should probably get ready, guess I need to change first.

“Good morning Veronica!”

“Aaaaaa!” Instinctively, I throw a knife in the direction of the voice.

“Wow, that was rude.” There's a small hologram of Nim being displayed from the Abyscreen. “I just want to say hi.”

“Can I put on clothes first?”

“Nope, time doesn’t stop for stuff like that. Anyway, in about an hour, meet up with Gwyn, I’ll send you directions. Byeee!”

…

After putting on my traveling clothes I grabbed a bar and left my room. The directions lead to a large plaza with a large portal and a bunch of stands. It is fairly busy but Gwyn was easy to spot.

“Ah there you are Veronica, you’re the last one to arrive.” standing next to Gwyn is a girl wearing a parka and a guy wearing a full set of armor and a spear. “Ok, follow me I’ll brief you guys inside.” Gwyn walks into the portal and the three of us follow along.

…

We are no longer in the plaza, instead, we are standing in a maze of cliffs and ridges.

“Welcome to the Dungeon you three. Let me explain some stuff first. The Dungeon is a result of warped reality caused by a variety of factors. We knew of its existence for a while but we were only able to access it around 25 years ago, so we don’t know much about it. What we do know is limited, but here’s what’s important right now: 1. Every few floors or so have a different theme, they seem to be based on fears. 2. Each floor is around the size of a district of Abysia but floor exit and entrance are typically closer than that. 3. The Dungeon naturally produces chests and monsters and the loot found seems to be tailored to the person who finds it. 4. Each floor has a boss.

So that’s enough of that, now I’ll go into what you’re here for. You three are paired together as you’re all on an accelerated path and I decided your abilities all paired together well… I guess I need to do introductions… First, this is Veronica, she specializes in wind and space magic along with being good with guns and knives and having an uncanny ability to trace manna.

“Hello!”

“Next is Mila, she is a researcher that utilizes ice magic to both attacks and defend.”

“Nice to meet both of you!” She pulls back the hood of her parka and instead of hair, she has spines growing in a hair-like pattern. “It’ll be exciting to work together!”

“Finally there’s Elias, he is a physical attacker who wields a spear and focuses on speed and evasion.”

“Greetings, I hope we can all become friends!” He removes his helmet, he has fish-like fins on the side of his head. He bows. “The better we get along, the better our teamwork will be.”

“Good, you are all acquainted, now here’s your task. We have a request to procure seven Roc eggs. You can find them in nests but you’ll need to take care of the Rocs, obviously. Veronica, you should be able to track the nests… here.” Gwyn hands me an egg. “You should be able to use this to get a general feel of the eggs’ mana. Good luck, meet me back at the Hall.” Gwyn disappeared back through the portal.

There is an awkward pause, Elias is the first to speak up “...so what do we do now?”

“I can feel faint traces of other eggs…”

“Well then take the lead, Elias you’ll take care of foes, and I’ll make sure none of us get injured.” Mila attaches a round shield adorned with a few gems to her arm. “I suggest equipping your arms, Rocs are fairly aggressive.”

I concentrate and get a good feel of nearby eggs. “Ok, let’s go!”

…

…

“So how did everyone arrive in Abysia?” After 5 minutes or so of awkward silence, Mila asked a question.

“Oh, I was actually recruited. I had a run-in with Nocturnis Canibus and they invited me, as soon as I reach rank four I’ll join up with them.” Elias seems fairly excited about that.

“I just decided to wander and explore new places, I ended up just drifting to Abysia.”

Mila started to chuckle. “Is that really it, Veronica? That's incredibly tame compared to most people here. I mean I ended up here because I was kicked out of my homeworld for breaking some ‘rules’ or something.”

I feel like she’s hiding something. “Wait what ‘rule’ exac-”

*SQWAK*

“Well, it looks like we have company.” Elias got into a battle stance. “Three Rocs, one for each of us, let’s go.” He jumps off the cliff, lands on a Roc, and after stabbing it multiple times, jumps back to solid ground.

“Impressive, my turn.” Mila pulls out a crossbow and a spine and fires it at a Roc. Mana started to condense and the Roc became completely encased in ice and immediately plummeted. Now Veronica, what can you do?”

“Ummmmm…” I fire off my pistol and directly nail the final Roc, it goes down quickly. 

“Huh, good shot I guess?” Elias was dusting himself off.

“Interesting, is that the best you could do?” Mila seems unimpressed.

“No, but it did the job, what's the point of flair?”

“Flare makes stuff fun.”

“Eh, I guess I’ll try it next time.” I sighed. “Anyway this is the first nest.” There are two eggs in a nest of straw. “We now have three eggs.” 

“So four more? This shouldn’t be too bad.” Elias seems relieved.

“There is a strong trail, let's get going.” Something feels off, it feels like… “Wait.” I fire a shot at a pile of rocks and they start to rumble.

“Oh a rock golem, fun.” Mila starts preparing a spell.

“Wait, you want to see flair don’t you? I’ll take care of this.” A stone golem should have a weak crystalline core… I dash forward and dodge its punch by blinking behind it. “Phase Edge!” I plunge my hand into the golem’s chest and pull out its core. I toss it into the air and fire a shot into it. “Was that the flair you guys wanted? Anyway, let's get back to looking for the eggs.”

Mila seems a bit confused. “What do you use as a focus? I didn’t see you with any.”

“Oh, I use brands.” I roll up my sleeves and show them my arms.

“Isn’t that incredibly dangerous!? I’ve never met anyone who uses brands as a main focus.”

Elias chimes in also concerned. “I have but it’s ended badly for everyone, most of the time they were killed by misfires, and if they weren’t killed they at least lost their branded limbs.”

“That’s strange, in my homeworld brands are the type of magical focus. When I was wandering I only got the impression that brands were just rare not dangerous.”

Mila thought for a second. “How did you not know brands were dangerous? Even just the process of acquiring a brand is incredibly dangerous.”

“Really? We just kinda woke up with them, no one really knows where they come from.”

Elias sighed. “Brands are normally gained by taking a rune and forcing it to misfire and scorch the skin… It’s not pretty but people are crazy enough to do it.”

“Hey, can I see your brands?” I stop walking and hold out my arms for Mila to see. “Interesting… It’s not just a rune or two, its kinda like a runic array, they also look more like tattoos…”

“Wait can you not tattoo brands?” 

“No, you can tattoo protective charms and wards but not focuses. This is so fascinating!! When we get back you must let me look into them in more detail.” 

“Eh sure, why not.” We start walking again. “Say do you two have any unique abilities?”

“Oh!” Mila pulls out a spine. “You might have noticed this earlier but my spines can detach and regrow and I can also use them to store spells.”

“Ummm…” Elias is silent for a second or two. “I can breathe underwater I guess that counts?”

“Oh, that’s cool!” I stop walking. “Ok there's a nest on a small ridge above us I’ll get it. Jump!” I launch myself up and manage to grab three eggs. “Ok, we just need one more.” I jump back down. “There’s an egg fairly close by.”

...It’s interesting isn’t it, just a few days ago I was just floating through space, is this what I’m going to do with the rest of my life… It’s fun but I don’t know if I fit in, everyone here is so loose and carefree, that’s not something I can easily do… I can’t drop my guard, I can’t be carefree…

“What about you Victoria?” Elias pokes me in the shoulder.

“Wait, what? Sorry I wasn’t paying attention.”

“We are talking about our weapons, I just have a basic light spear, but Mila custom made a shield to act as a focus.”

“Oh, I was given a knife and pistol by the administration, I think they are just standard issue.”

“Eh that’s fair, not everyone can get a special weapon.” 

“Oh, we are here!” In front of us is a circular platform with a nest in the middle with a single egg. “Got it, let’s-”

*SQWAK!!!*

A Roc that's significantly larger than the others swoops up from a crevasse.

“Another one, I got this!” Elias waits for the Roc to swoop in close and jumps but quickly is hit by a wing and slammed backwards.

“Hold on!” Mila’s shield starts to glow and a wall of ice forms to catch Elias. “I’m  guessing this is the ‘boss’ Gwyn mentioned.” Mila fires a spine and ice starts to form around the Roc but it manages to break free. “We are going to need a plan.”

I think I can pull something off… “I’m going to agitate it and then stun it. Once it's stunned, Mila will freeze it and that should knock it to the ground where Elias can finish it off. Is that good?”

Elias is brushing off some ice. “Sounds good to me.”

Mila gets a spine ready. “I’ll back you up.”

I walk out into the middle of the platform and fire some shots at the Roc to attract its attention.

*SQWAK!!!!!*

Good, it's mad. It flies around and aligns itself on a path to hit me. “Oh space bend to my will, Grant me protection from ills. My reality becomes clearer, come forth Karmic Mirror!” Right before the Roc’s talons hit me, space warped and there was a blast of energy. “Mila now!” 

Ice solidified around its left-wing and it was pinned to the ground. “Elias you're up!”

“Got it!” Elias stabs the Roc multiple times. “Die you oversized chicken tender!” He drives his spear through its skull.

*SqWak…*

The Roc collapses and a chest materializes in front of it. I kick open the chest and inside there's a few feathers, some gold, and a gem. “Does anyone want any of this?”

“I’ll take the feathers they might be useful for crafting.” Mila grabs the feathers. “Oh, that looks like a speed enhancement gem.”

“I guess I’ll take the gem then.” Elias picks up the gem.

“I guess the gold is mine…” Good, I need money, that was lucky. “Anyway, we have all seven eggs so let's head back.”